Today we’d like to introduce you to David Davis.
Hi David, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My earliest memory of making art is sitting at an easel that had belonged to my grandmother in Los Angeles. In the 1960s, her work brought her into Hollywood celebrity circles, where she received commissions as an artist. Years later, she sat me down at that easel and showed me how to paint a watercolor still life, a simple bowl of fruit. It was my first real introduction to the practice of art.
Around the age of ten, I began taking private lessons from a local artist who taught a small group of students out of her garage. I continued studying with her into my early teens and then took art classes throughout high school. What stayed with me was not only the art itself, but the environment in which I learned: a working studio, a small group of serious students, and a sense that artistic ability was something developed patiently over time.
In college, I found myself increasingly drawn to the technical side of art, the precision, problem-solving, structure, and craftsmanship behind the work. For a time, I thought engineering might be the natural extension of those interests, and I spent two years studying on an engineering track. Eventually, however, I returned to what had always been at the center of my life. I changed my major back to art and completed my bachelor’s degree in fine art.
For years, I imagined recreating the kind of studio in which I had learned as a child. Eventually, I decided to do it. I converted a large room near the entrance of my home into a dedicated art studio and redesigned the adjoining entryway as a comfortable waiting area for parents. More importantly, I began developing a progressive curriculum modeled on what I remembered from my own early education: fundamentals first, increasing technical expectations, and a path of artistic development that can continue for years rather than a series of disconnected projects.
I work under the artist name D.Yago- “D” for David, and Yago, a form of James with Latin roots and I opened the studio as D.Yago Creative. My hope is to create the kind of place that had such an influence on me: a serious but welcoming studio where young artists can learn their craft, develop discipline, and discover what they are capable of producing.
And, as with any good studio, I expect the learning to go both ways. I look forward to teaching, creating, and continuing to grow alongside my students.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t really do social media, not because I can’t, but because I don’t like the head space it puts me in, and marketing a business requires social media presense and creating new content for it- this is honestly the hardest part about what I do for me.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I suppose, for starters, I’m an INTJ according to Myers-Briggs and an Enneagram 5w4, the Investigator/Iconoclast. I’m naturally drawn to experimentation and creative problem-solving, whether that means exploring new ideas through cooking, working with wood or metal, or creating with acrylics and oils, or creative software development. Creative expression tends to find its way into nearly every area of my life.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love being so close to lakes and rivers during the summer that I frequent, and close to ski resorts in the winter. I feel like I’m constantly pinching myself with how incredibly gorgeous of a place I live in so close to the great outdoors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dyagocreative.com/
- Other: https://dyagocreative.substack.com/archive
